Tuesday, June 7, 2011

As parents, I think I can safely say that we all love our children more than we ever thought was going to be possible.

However, that doesn't mean that, in order to save our sanity, we don't all need a break once in a while. After all, being a mother doesn't mean that I don't miss being able to spend time seeing non-animated movies, having a dinner that doesn't involve straw cups or being in a fitting room and not having to take on and off clothes at a record speed.

In the time since we became parents, my husband and I have been fortunate to have a date night here or there or be able to leave our children with their grandparents for an overnight trip now and again. So why haven't we done more to find babysitters in our area? To be honest, I've never been sure where to look.

Considering the amount of research my husband and I do just to choose a dependable carpet cleaner, how would I ever pick someone to take care of the two aspects of my life that I care most about?

Amanda Armstrong is a mother of two busy children and a former television journalist turned budding entrepreneur. It wasn’t until the intersection of life’s circumstances and recognizing a problem parents face finding trusted sitters that the idea for her own business venture struck.

Placed on bed rest at 29 weeks pregnant with her second child and a 2-year-old daughter at home to care for, Amanda needed help while her husband was at work. Her friends jumped in by sharing their trusted sitters, knowing she was of no threat to their weekend plans. Their generosity gave Amanda the idea that if friends had the right platform to share sitters, everyone could Share and Take Care!

From that first idea to full-scale web development and launch of Sitter Pals, Amanda is passionately working to transform the way parents and trusted sitters connect... not only for herself, but for all moms juggling life and kids. By taking the type of questions that I always have when looking for a sitter (e.g. Where am I going to find someone? How am I going to know they're trustworthy?), Sitter Pals has those answers and more.

Parents then invite their close friends, who invite their trusted sitters.

Now parents have a larger network of sitters they trust to search, book, and communicate with online.

Sitters join the networks of families they know and trust and those of their friends.

Sitters set their schedules to work when they want for families that they trust.

What does that all add up to? Sitter Pals being the safest, most convenient way to book trusted sitters!

This unique approach really does just make sense. Instead of fretting as to how and where to find a sitter that is not only reliable but also trusted (and not just trusted by anonymous recommendations, but by your friends), Sitter Pals brings all of the information that you need right into your own personal network.

Simply search and book your sitter right online and save yourself from wasting time as well as the hassle of a million phone calls or emails back and forth. You'll be on your way to having your schedule secured and your evening planned in no time!

By having access to a network of trusted sitters, you're able to take care of life, take care of work, and take care of fun faster, easier, and more conveniently. Visit Sitter Pals today to find out more! And, thanks to their generosity, one person will be even more prepared to head out for a date soon, because...

One lucky person will win a $25 gift card to Outback Steakhouse (also redeemable at PF Chang's and Fleming's Steakhouse) from Sitter Pals!

To enter to win: Tell me how you have found reliable sitters in the past OR why you need an upcoming date night!

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted).1 Extra Entry (per method) if you follow Sitter Pals on Twitter and/or Like them on Facebook.1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway.1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

2 Extra Entries (per follow method) if you follow me with Google Friend Connect, subscribe to my RSS feed, subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email, become a fan on Facebook or add Thanks, Mail Carrier to your blogroll.3 Extra Entries if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.3 Extra Entries if you blog about this giveaway linking back to this post. Please leave an address where it can be found.Giveaway will end on June 28th at 11:59pm CST. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada only.

A big thank you to Sitter Pals for providing a $25 Outback Steakhouse gift card for me as well as for one lucky giveaway winner. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.

I need a date night out because its been sooo long since we have had one its way overdue, I dont need a sitter because my kids are beyond that age but in the past we only used family members, I didnt trust anyone else with my kids or we just took them with us